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Arts in Munich is dedicated to culture in Munich, in its broadest sense. From gigs, exhibitions and performances to restaurants, bars and hotels, the digital magazine provides an independent guide as to what's on and where to go in Munich and the rest of Bavaria.

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I’ve been living in Westend for over a year now, but still hadn’t made it to the neighbourhood’s biggest institution – the Augustiner Bräustuben – the home of Munich’s oldest beer. When Sven suggested dinner there the other day, Flo and I jumped at the chance.

Open daily, from 10am to midnight, the Bräustuben is as traditionally Bavarian as you can get. They have a huge beer hall, lots of traditional (meaty) Bavarian dishes and Augustiner draught beer from wooden barrels. It’s popular with both locals and tourists, keen to avoid the throngs at the Hofbräuhaus.

As in most Bavarian beer halls, plates come piled high, food is hearty and very reasonably priced. I ordered the boiled beef with veggies, potatoes and fresh horseradish, Sven ordered the marinated beef and Flo had a schnitzel. Portions were so big that none of us could finish, despite it being really delicious comfort food.

Nevertheless, there’s always room for dessert, and Sven told us the pancakes were to die for. The blueberry pancake was unlike anything I’ve ever seen. Unfortunately, the photos I took don’t do it justice, but it really was gigantic, served in a pan, and topped with cream, ice cream and blueberries. Ideally, you need to share it between about five people (three of us made a pitiful attempt at demolishing it). And most impressive of all, it costs under 7 €.

If all of that has left you full and sleepy, I recommend a pear schnapps (a Willi) to aid digestion – which comes with a poached pear.

I can’t eat Bavarian fare all the time – it’s too hearty – but every now and again I long for a good meat and potato meal – with a decent pint of beer to wash it all down with. Combined with a traditional beer hall atmosphere, the Augustiner Bräustuben is a lovely place to while away an evening with friends. Oh, and I heard they have a lovely rooftop terrace (that not all that many people know about), so if the evening’s warm, a beer outside sounds like a dream.

I'm Rachel, the author behind Arts in Munich. I moved to Munich in the summer of 2008, and work as an editor in the city. I also do freelance work for the BBC, MONOCLE, Singapore Airlines and Kaltblut, among others, and previously wrote for the Huffington Post and Electronic Beats.